it is well-known that, after the Golem of Prague's tragic rampage, Rabbi Loew destroyed his creation by changing the word אֶמֶת - "Truth" - inscribed upon its forehead into מֵת - "Dead." The golem, thus reduced to a lifeless statue, was then sealed away inside the attic of the Old New Synagogue... or so the story goes, at least.
This story has, of course, become a very prominent one - perhaps the most influential and well-known piece of Jewish folklore outside the Tanakh itself. At the time, however, Rabbi Loew had no idea that this would happen, and wanted to ensure that anyone happening upon the golem would know better than to resuscitate it. As such, he engaged in a meticulous three-step process.
The first step was to remove the golem's limbs from its body. The rabbi was careful not to break them, and to sever them cleanly, as a sign of respect; he felt it would be improper to destroy his own creation, in spite of all the trouble it had caused.
The second step was to lock each limb inside a separate chest in the attic. This ensured that if any of his successors did decide to revive the golem, they would have four separate chances to change their mind and turn back - but that the option would still be available, should it truly be deemed necessary.
This left the torso and head in the open. The rabbi decided that it was wise to turn these into a warning in and of themselves - a signpost that said, essentially, this being is unpredictable; it may not work properly; do not rely upon it unless you have no other option. After some consideration, he decided that the simplest way to do this would be to erase "מֵת" from the forehead entirely and replace it with the word פגום, which - depending on your interpretation - can be translated into English as "corrupt," "flawed," "defective," or
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